Can you say how many hours of sun they get? And, is any of it middle-of-the-day sun?
Didn't we rule out rhodi/azaleas before? I thought it was too cold... Would they work in your area, Soz? That could be a nice choice. I like cornus Kousa too... which would also tie the yard together, as we first talked about, relating to the other dogwood.. I remember not knowing if it would be too big there eventually - that might be before I saw the last photos. Also wonder how it would look with however the conifers will grow to be in the future.
Oof. I just looked and can't tell if they are getting direct light now. I don't think so. (It's slightly overcast, not completely obvious.) The photos above were taken at about 5:00 PM; direct light seems to start at maybe 2:00?
This I can do without waiting a year, anyway, observe over the course of one sunny day and figure out the light situation.
You add a few tsp-tbsp to the hole when planting. It absorbs water and then releases it slowly to the roots. Be sure to follow directions and not to spill it on any walking surfaces! It's funny stuff.
I personally don't like rhododendrons -- weren't on my radar as liking or disliking before I moved here, have two in the side yard and they're very tempermental and annoy me.
Azaleas are fine, have six up against the house (three on one side, three on the other), again OK but not delighted by them.
Dogwood is a distinct possibility, lots I like about the idea.
That stuff looks excellent! Thanks!
Does anyone think I should be pruning the conifers?
Osso, many rhod-azaleas are native here (and Ohio), it was the specific variety that you showed that wasn't hardy enough, I think. There is that kousa which is variegated AND dwarf (Wolfeyes). Perhaps a dogwood which has been left to it's shrubby ways? There's also the cornelian cherry dogwood (who names these things?).
Soz, it is a good time to watch the sun. But, after the leaves fall, it'll be harder to tell what's going on. You should also think about the fact that the sun crosses east-west in a more southerly track between now and spring.
Another thing you could do now is plant bulbs for spring blooms.
Rhododendrons tend to have pretty flowers and sort of sloppy form the rest of the year.. some people are wild about them, others go, eh. Some azaleas would look good, but I know we looked them up and they don't work re your zone.
This cornus kousa picture gives me pause... too big.
But there are some small dogwoods, I have a yellow stemmed one myself. Might be 'stolonifera', have to look it up.
Cornus kousa 'wolf eyes' grows 10'x10' in 10 years and is shrubby in appearance. Zones 5-8. Relatively cheap. The fruit are showy strawberry looking things that are edible (but not that tasty) and the leaves redden in fall. I have seen this plant described in a lot of ways (it's a new cultivar and maybe it isn't quite stable yet?). If you do buy it, pay attention to the tag.
Joeblow - my design partner and I have the shared opinion that we like planting things either in groves or massses or 'streams' of plants, or, the opposite, to have one plant stand out as a specimen, like a piece of sculpture, perhaps within a grove that works as a background for it.
So, if I had two trees, say, Japanese maples like the bloodgood, I might triangulate and put in a third, if there were room, for the grove effect.
Anyway, it is just one way of designing, but I mention it to explain what's behind some of my thinking.
Sun came out more strongly, definitely still shady as of now. (12:20 PM my time.)
Bulbs are actually the least of my worries in this yard -- lots of 'em, and they seem to be propagating happily.
The whole yard strongly trends towards spring bloom -- which is lovely, of course, but I hope to get more going for longer.
Interesting info about rhodies, if there are hardier ones I'm more interested. DEFINITELY about some pretty flowers for a short time and then just kinda sloppy and tempermental for the rest of the time with the ones I have. Total eh.
I have azaleas, but they don't seem particularly happy -- they are something to replace later on, I think.
Cornus kousa looks very interesting!!
osso wrote:Joeblow - my design partner and I have the shared opinion that we like planting things either in groves or massses or 'streams' of plants, or, the opposite, to have one plant stand out as a specimen, like a piece of sculpture, perhaps within a grove that works as a background for it.
<nodding>
Makes a lot of sense.
Here's the small cornus I have. It is a variety of stolonifera, the red twig dogwood, only it has yellowish twigs and I like the form better than the usual red twig as far as it going with other plants, depending on what the other plants are. The regular red twig dogwood looks good in masses of them by themselves.
http://woodyplants.nres.uiuc.edu/plant/corsefl00
I haven't seen mine flower, but that may be because mine is totally overwhelmed by my near giant Salvia something.
I think I lie, I think I have noticed tiny no big deal flowers on it...
The thing about a rhododendron there, even if one would live, would it look right next to those sort of delicate textured conifers with a kind of christmas tree shape?
Oh, man, I missed your dwarf kousa post, little k... I LOVE that.. (I hadn't noticed a dwarf in my googling..)
On pruning the conifers, I dunno, I still don't know what they are...
I'll try to find out what the conifers are.
Oh, the oakleaf hydrangea looks really good!!!!! Only just clicked the link. All kinds of things about it. That it can take full sun, that it gets so big, that it's such a vigorous bloomer, the color of the flowers... I think that's the front-runner as of now.
Also that the leaves turn red in the fall -- another kind of fall color.
